This article addresses the importance of cultural industries for the strengthening of the soft power of the rising powers and it seeks to understand how the cultural industries allow rising powers to ... [more ▼]

This article addresses the importance of cultural industries for the strengthening of the soft power of the rising powers and it seeks to understand how the cultural industries allow rising powers to shape the structures of their international environment. More specifically, studying the cases of People’s Republic of China and of the movie industry, my article focuses on the current evolution of the relationship between the Chinese authorities and the film industry, as well as on the development of the domestic film market. I further aim to draw up an inventory of China’s role within the global governance of cultural industries. Finally, I aim to highlight the global cultural competition that China faces, emphasizing the practices of the US administration and Hollywood. I argue that even if China is the current centre of gravity within the world economy, it still has a long way to go in order to shape the distribution of resources within the global governance of cultural industries and to play a crucial role in the international battle of cultural symbols. [less ▲]

RNAi therapeutics are promising therapeutic tools that have sparked the interest of many researchers. In an effort to provide a safe alternative to PEI, we have designed a series of new guanidinium and/or ... [more ▼]

RNAi therapeutics are promising therapeutic tools that have sparked the interest of many researchers. In an effort to provide a safe alternative to PEI, we have designed a series of new guanidinium and/or morpholino functionalized biocompatible and biodegradable polycarbonate vectors. The impact of different functions (morpholino-, guanidinium-, hydrophobic groups), of the architecture (linear homopolymer to dumbbell-shape) and of the molecular weight of these copolymers on their capacity to form polyplexes and to decrease the expression of two epigenetic regulators of gene expression, HDAC7 and HDAC5 was evaluated. The use of one of these polymers combining morpholine and guanidine functions at the ratio >1 and hydrophobic trimethylene carbonate groups showed a significant decrease of mRNA and protein level in HeLa cells, similar to PEI. These results highlight the potential of polycarbonate vectors for future in vivo application as an anti-cancer therapy. [less ▲]

in Morizot, Julien; Kazemian, Lila (Eds.) The Development of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior . Theory, Research and Practical Applications (2015)

Delinquent and criminal behaviors are often the result of adverse conditions in the family and the neighborhood, or of affiliations with delinquent peers. However, case studies as well as large surveys ... [more ▼]

Delinquent and criminal behaviors are often the result of adverse conditions in the family and the neighborhood, or of affiliations with delinquent peers. However, case studies as well as large surveys have shown that even in adverse conditions, many children and adolescents do not engage in delinquency; they are “resilient.” In the explanation of criminal and antisocial behaviors, resilient individuals are those who have succeeded in overcoming at-risk circumstances. Resilience is also regarded as the process through which a person adjusts to at-risk situations in a successful manner. Promotive and protective factors stem from the community, family, school, peers, and individuals, and the configurations of these factors are important. In addition, protective factors are not universal. Risk factors and consequently, protective and resilience processes, may be different for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as for males and females. Finally, it is useful to distinguish primary resilience (i.e., as a preventive force in the onset of delinquency) from secondary resilience, which refers to a return to a crime-free life after a period of serious offending activity. [less ▲]

The quality of the oil of four safflower varieties, originating from Spain (Rancho), India (Sharda) and Morocco (Cartamar and Cartafri), which were cultivated at the experimental station in Oujda (a semi ... [more ▼]

The quality of the oil of four safflower varieties, originating from Spain (Rancho), India (Sharda) and Morocco (Cartamar and Cartafri), which were cultivated at the experimental station in Oujda (a semi-arid region of eastern Morocco) was evaluated through analysis of their phenolic and carotenoid contents. The composition of the phenolic compounds of safflower oil has not yet been documented. Therefore, in this preliminary study, Thirty different phenolic compounds were identified, and significant differences between the oil varieties were observed (P < 0.05). In the seed oil from the Rancho and Sharda safflower varieties, the main phenolic compound was trans-chalcone, representing 13.45% and 11.8%, respectively, of the total phenolics, whereas in Cartamar and Cartafri oils, naringin accounted for 26.82% and 16.5%, respectively, of the total phenolics. The total carotenoid contents ranged from 1.13 mg/kg (Rancho) to 1.34 mg/kg (Cartamar and Cartafri).We observed that b-cryptoxanthin (0.31–0.37 mg/kg) and b-carotene (0.3–0.35 mg/kg) were the predominant carotenoids in all of the safflower oils that were studied. [less ▲]

Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (gliptins) occupy an increasing place in the armamentarium of drugs used for the management of hyperglycaemia and offer new opportunities for a ... [more ▼]

Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (gliptins) occupy an increasing place in the armamentarium of drugs used for the management of hyperglycaemia and offer new opportunities for a personalized medicine in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Areas covered: An updated review providing an analysis of available recent data with commercialized DPP-4 inhibitors, with a special focus on: differences between the various molecules, novelties regarding their mechanism of action, clinical efficacy in mono- and various combined therapies, comparison with other new therapies, efficacy-safety profile in at risk patients, concern about pancreatic safety, perspectives in cardiovascular prevention and, finally, a selection of remaining unanswered important questions for the clinician. Expert opinion: DPP-4 inhibitors offer various advantages when compared to other glucose-lowering agents. Despite they have been commercialized since a few years only, available data obtained in randomised controlled trials are of better quality compared to those available with ancient classical glucose-lowering agents, especially in more fragile populations such as elderly people, individuals with renal impairment or at high cardiovascular risk and patients at higher risk of hypoglycaemia. However, there remain uncertainties and controversies that should be resolved by further ongoing large prospective controlled trials and increasing clinical experience combined with a careful post-marketing surveillance. [less ▲]

The aim of the current study was to determine, via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, the effect of oregano essential oil (Origanum heracleoticum) and ... [more ▼]

The aim of the current study was to determine, via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, the effect of oregano essential oil (Origanum heracleoticum) and carvacrol, its major component, on the expression of virulence-associated genes in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 ATCC strain 35150. Both oregano oil and carvacrol demonstrated their efficacy firstly, by inhibiting the transcription of the ler gene involved in up regulation of the LEE2, LEE3 and LEE4 promoters and of attaching and effacing lesions and secondly by decreasing both Shiga toxin and fliC genes expression. In addition, a decrease in luxS gene transcription involved in quorum sensing was observed. These results were dose dependent and showed a specific effect of O. heracleoticum and carvacrol in downregulating the expression of virulence genes in EHEC O157:H7. These findings suggest that oregano oil and carvacrol have the potential to mitigate the adverse health effects caused by virulence gene expression in EHEC O157: [less ▲]

The drilling of galleries induces damage propagation in the surrounding medium and creates, around them, the excavation damaged zone (EDZ). The prediction of the extension and fracture structure of this ... [more ▼]

The drilling of galleries induces damage propagation in the surrounding medium and creates, around them, the excavation damaged zone (EDZ). The prediction of the extension and fracture structure of this zone remains a major issue, especially in the context of underground nuclear waste storage. Experimental studies on geomaterials indicate that localised deformation in shear band mode usually appears prior to fractures. Thus, the excavation damaged zone can be modelled by considering the development of shear strain localisation bands. In the classical finite element framework, strain localisation suffers a mesh-dependency problem. Therefore, an enhanced model with a regularisation method is required to correctly model the strain localisation behaviour. Among the existing methods, we choose the coupled local second gradient model. We extend it to unsaturated conditions and we include the solid grain compressibility. Furthermore, air ventilation inside underground galleries engenders a rock– atmosphere interaction that could influence the damaged zone. This interaction has to be investigated in order to predict the damaged zone behaviour. Finally, a hydromechanical modelling of a gallery excavation in claystone is presented and leads to a fairly good representation of the EDZ. The main objectives of this study are to model the fractures by considering shear strain localisation bands, and to investigate if an isotropic model accurately reproduces the in situ measurements. The numerical results provide information about the damaged zone extension, structure and behaviour that are in very good agreement with in situ measurements and observations. For instance, the strain localisation bands that develop in chevron pattern during the excavation and rock desaturation, due to air ventilation, are observed close to the gallery. [less ▲]

A new species of the phlyctaeniid arthrodire genus Groenlandaspis from the upper Famennian of Belgium is described. The remains of Groenlandaspis potyi sp. nov. consist of dissociated thoracic armor ... [more ▼]

A new species of the phlyctaeniid arthrodire genus Groenlandaspis from the upper Famennian of Belgium is described. The remains of Groenlandaspis potyi sp. nov. consist of dissociated thoracic armor elements, but the specimen designed to be the holotype displays the median dorsal, anterior and posterior dorsolateral plates in connection. Though incomplete, the new species is characterized by an equilateral triangle-shaped median dorsal plate, a protruding posterodorsal apron of the posterior dorsolateral plate behind the overlap area for the median dorsal plate, and an overall lack of ornamentation. Groenlandaspis potyi sp. nov. constitutes the second occurrence of a Groenlandaspis species in continental Europe after the description of Groenlandaspis thorezi from upper Famennian quarries of Belgium. Another probable new species of Groenlandaspis is also described, though of unknown locality and horizon; it can however be deduced from the upper Famennian of Belgium without more precision. Together with some unpublished material of groenlandaspidids from the Famennian tetrapod-bearing locality of Strud, this material highlights the richness of the Groenlandaspididae diversity in Belgium. The discovery of Groenlandaspis potyi sp. nov. in Belgium reinforces the Famennian global distribution of this widespread genus during this period. Also, since those organisms have possibly been considered as non-marine indicators, this material is another argument pleading for close relationships between Euramerica and Gondwana around the Frasnian-Famennian boundary. [less ▲]